Assignment –I (CRC-101)

(CY1001, July-Nov Batch 2023)

Department of Chemistry, IIT Madras
1) Determine whether or not the following pairs of operators commute.
 Ê

2 d d
2
x
dx dx
2

d d
−x +x
dx dx
2 2
d d
2
−x 2
+x
dx dx
2) Show that the functions given below are eigen functions of the operator Â

 f(x)
2 ax
d d e
2
+2 +3
dx dx

∂ 2 6y
x e
∂y
3) The wavefunction of a particle confined to the x axis is y = e-x for x > 0 and y = e+x for x <0.
Normalize this wavefunction and calculate the probability of finding the particle between
x = -1 and x = 1. (Hint: ignore the first derivative discontinuity at x=0).

4) The speed of an electron is 995 km/s. If the uncertainty in its momentum is to be

reduced to 0.01 percent, what uncertainty in its position must be tolerated?

5) An unnormalized wave function for an electron in a nano-wire of length L is given by

sin(2πx/L). Normalize the wave function. What is the probability of finding the electron
in the range dx around x = L/2?

6) Show that the function f(x) = (8 e5x + 9 e-5x) an eigen function of the operator d2 /dx2 .
What is the eigen value?

7) The lifetime of a molecule is calculated from a certain spectral data as 10-10 s. What is
the uncertainty in energy of this state? Give the answer in J and J/mol.

8) What are the results of operating on the following functions with the operator d/dx and
2
d 2

2 ? (a) e , (b) cos bx and (c)e ikx. Which functions are eigenfunctions of the operators?
−ax
dx
What are the corresponding eigenvalues?

9) Consider a particle in a quantum state Ø that is the superposition of two eigen functions
of energy Ø1and Ø2 with energy eigen values E1 and E2:
Ø = c1 Ø1 + c2 Ø2
What is the probability of measuring E1 or E2? What is the average energy?